The present invention relates to a device utilized for holding a machine tool collet and causing the collet to clamp about a tool shaft disposed therethrough, and more particularly to an integrated collet and chuck device particularly useful on high speed devices such as routers.
Present conventional systems used on portable stationary routers, laminate trimmers, or dry wall cutters utilize a collet tool holding device having a tapered collet that conforms to the hollow cone of the collet chuck or router motor shaft. Typically, a threaded nut is provided having a conical cam surface which matches the conical surface of the outer collet face. With these typical devices, when a tool is inserted within the collet, the nut is tightened forcing the collet to collapse and grip the tool carried therein. During this operation, however, the drive spindle or chuck of the machine tool has to be held stationary in order to tighten the nut sufficiently. For this reason, most router chucks, for example, have spindle locks or are provided with an extra wrench that fits the chuck body or shaft. Similarly, to release the tool, the machine shaft or chuck body must be held stationary while the nut is loosened in the counter clockwise direction. This procedure has proven to be cumbersome and requires a means, such as a separate wrench, for locking the spindle shaft. Also, with the conventional systems the operator must physically tightened the nut onto the collet in very tight or close proximity to the sharp cutting edges of the bit or tool carried by the collet. Thus, the operator is subjected to unnecessary risk and injury.